Beneath Notice
by Dustbunny3
Summary: One-shot. Devotionshipping. It could be that there's something wonderful just beneath the scope of their perception.


Disclaimer: Dustbunny doesn't own YGO! This is a work of fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended. No one would pay for this anyway

A/N: Another entry in Computerfreak101's fanfiction contest. Somehow I thought I'd get this one wrapped up quickly, but no. Here I am mocking the time limit once again, although not quite so bad as usual. Thanks again to my lovely and long-suffering beta reader, Jensti, who had to point out a shocking number of errors considering that this is told in one-hundred word scenes. I would look like more of an idiot than usual if it weren't for the time she invests in putting up with me

.

Somehow, Jounouchi never thought he'd find himself dumped when he wasn't even in a relationship. Surely even he couldn't have that bad of luck with his love life, right?

"This... whatever this is... it just isn't going to work."

Of course, he's been wrong before.

"You understand." Mai's stance screams of nonchalance, but there's something like a plea peering at him from the depths of her eyes. "... Don't you?"

No, actually, he doesn't.

"What are you so afraid of?" Jounouchi wants to demand.

Instead he says, "Yeah, I get it."

She nods (_Who are you trying to convince, Mai?_), offers a bracing smile and goes.

.

Cuddling is supposed to be warm, but it's cold as Anzu curls up around Yugi to watch the movie he picked out for them. She'd like this flick, she thinks, if she had it in her to pay attention. Instead she's still thinking, _Are these feelings for Yugi? Are they feelings for Atemu?_

"This isn't going to work, is it?" Yugi asks so quietly that it could be her imagination.

"No," Anzu agrees, sincere in her mourning tones. "It's been... it could have been great."

"Yeah."

They smile briefly and turn back to the screen in some awkward semblance of what they once were.

.

"Jounouchi?"

Inexplicably, Anzu's voice makes him tense up. She's his buddy, after all, and female; he shouldn't have to worry about hiding from her. So he turns to offer a strained smile of greeting- it freezes on his face when their gazes meet. What Jounouchi sees in her eyes he can recognize. His mind whirls with questions, and he can tell that she's experiencing the same reaction. That's no surprise; if he can notice, so can she.

"So what happened with-?"

"Why did you and-?"

They stop as quickly and as uniformly as they began. Neither wants to talk, so neither will ask questions.

.

Somehow they find themselves on the beach, only close enough to the sea that the spray of the surf teases them. They sit in a comfortable silence, and if they're closer together than they need to be in the light of the summer sun, neither notice.

But it's hard not to notice when they're facing one another and Jounouchi leans closer and she follows his lead (or maybe it's the other way around; they won't remember later). Their eyes are locked even after their vision is split; Misery is inviting company, and without knowing why Anzu finds this whole thing funny.

At first Jounouchi doesn't know what to make of Anzu's suppressed giggles, but the situation slaps him clear across his face and he can't quite hold in a chuckle of his own. Encouraged, Anzu laughs aloud and he laughs louder and if their lips brush in the moments before they find the sense to stop laughing in each others faces they don't notice.

But Anzu chokes on her laughter and she's sobbing unabashedly into Jounouchi's chest as he holds her there tightly. Maybe there're more tears than those of the sympathetic sea wetting her hair, but if so she doesn't notice.

.

"I'm sorry."

"It's just a shirt, it'll dry."

"That's not... really what I meant..."

He finally looks up at her from his soggy t-shirt and she blushes as she realizes that of course he knew what she meant. Isn't she supposed to be the sensitive one? A mild panic tugs at the edge of her mind as she tries to determine if she should apologize again or-

"Me too."

Reassured, Anzu offers him a brave smile that peeks from the depths of her eyes and he returns this with a lopsided grin. Maybe it's a little chillier when they part ways, but they don't notice.

.

Almost a week later Anzu watches as Jounouchi and Honda attempt to best each other at a shooter; she's got money against Honda, yet finds herself wanting him to win. Or rather, wanting Jounouchi to lose. Wanting Jounouchi- even though she knows he won't- to break down and stomp off, find some quiet place to cry alone where no one will find him. No one, that is, except for her...

"Yeah!"

"Aw, man!"

Otogi is handing her a wad of bills and she realizes that Jounouchi has won. Her face burns with shame as she fumbles with her purse, but no one notices.

.

Until they get to the door, Anzu and Jounouchi, the last to leave her home after a movie night, chat idly; conversation dies when they notice how close they're standing. This time it is certainly Anzu who leans in first, and this time they are not interrupted by laughter- or anything else, for that matter.

It's like she's just pressed her lips against a live wire, Anzu thinks, and the jolt throws her away from Jounouchi, almost chases her out the door before she remembers this is her house; instead she beats a hasty exit up the stairs to her room.

.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Anzu-"

"I don't know what came over me!"

"Anzu-"

"I would never do anything to hurt our friendship, or your friendship with Yugi-"

"Anzu! Would you shut up a minute?"

She is taken enough aback to snap her mouth shut as she looks at him with watery eyes. He smiles crookedly (if the smile is strained she doesn't notice) in reassurance before speaking.

"I'm not mad, Anzu. It's nothing to get upset about" (maybe the word "nothing" has a bitter taste, but he doesn't notice) "so don't. Not like you're a bad kisser."

Anzu blushes and they both laugh- a little nervously, but neither notice.

.

He's supposed to be at work- that's the excuse he gave for not seeing Anzu off at the airport. One of his best friends is (running) going to America to fulfill her dream, and he's sitting on the beach. A voice in the back of his mind hisses at him, but he ignores it, colorful language and all. What did a voice in the back of someone's head ever know anyway? Jounouchi can't watch another woman walk away, whatever the pretense.

It could be that a tear mingles with the spray of the sea, but no one is there to notice.

.

Praise appreciated, concrit treasured, flames raspberried.


End file.
